Magazine fire-arm



(Model.)

M. L. BURKE.

MAGAZINEl PIRE ARM.- No. 307,175. Patented Oct. 28, 1884.

Unirse. STATES A rENr Brion.

MICHAEL L. BURKE, OF ILION, NEV YORK.

MAGAZINE FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,175, dated @ctober 28, 1884-.

Application filed May i7, resi. (Hotel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, M. L. BURKE, of Ilion, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Magazine Fire Arms, of which the following is a specification.

vMy invention relates to that class of firearms which are adapted to be used either as a single loader or a magazine-gun, and in which the magazine is arranged. to feed the cartridges sidewise up through 'an opening in the bottom of the receiver; and the invention consists in certain features or improvements, hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the frame or receiver, with one of the side plates removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the frame, showing the parts in the position they occupy when the arm is used as a single loader; Fig. 3, a similar view with the magazine attached. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the side plates shown detached, and Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the cut-off.

As this class o f guns have heretofore been constructed it was necessary to make them with a full stock, in order to cover and pro /tect the spring-plate which partially closed the p opening in the bottom of the shoe or receiver 4o ljecting from its under side near its front end,

and a similar lug, B', near its rear end. -The guard-plate D is made of a width correspondingwith that of the lugs B B', and extends forward of the triggerguard II to the front end of the receiver, it being provided with a hole corresponding in size and -form with the -magazine or box F to permit the latter to be inserted therein, as shown in Fig. 3, and as is usual in this class of guns. On each side' this plate D is provided with two vertical ears, a, as shown in Fig. 1, for securing the side plates I, as hereinafter sta-ted.

To complete the frame, I construct two side plates, I, one of which is shown detached in Fig. 4, these plates being of the proper length and width to iit upon the lugs B B and the sides of theguard-plate D, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The upper inner edges of these plates are preferably made concave, as shown, so as to fit snugly against the lower rounded sides of the receiver A, though they maybe otherwise fitted, if desired. These side plates are secured in position by screws, which enter the lugs B Bf and the ears a c of the guard` plate, thus firmly uniting the receiver A and the guard-plate D with the side plates, I, and

forming a box-frame.

For the purpose of closing the opening in the guard-plate D when the magazine F is detached, I provide a spring door or plate, E, which consists of a thin plate of metal, a little larger than the opening, and hinge it upon the upper face of the guaiPd-plate by means `of a small rod or pintle, b, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The hinge rod or pintle b is secured to the upper surface of the guard-plate D, at one side of the opening, by means of a couple of screws, c, and the ears a a, as shown in Fig. 1, though it is obvious that it maybe secured in any other manner-as, for instance, by making small projections on the inner face of the ears a at their base, and boring holes i in these projections and shoving the pintle b through them. Around this rod b, I wind a piece of springwire, Z, as shown, one end bearing on the door or plate E, while its other end `bears against the inner face of the side plate, I, as shown clearly in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, thus forming a spring, which will permit the door to yield readily to the pressure of the inagazine when the latter is shoved into position, and will cause the door to close automatically as the magazine is withdrawn.

Any other form of spring may be usedybut the form shown is simple, cheap, and effective. lBy this spring-door it will be seen that the opening in the bottom of the frame is `kept closed whenever lthe magazine is detached,

' in the bottom of the shoe, two narrow plates,

n, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, these plates being about as long as the opening, and nearly half as wide. These plates are each attached by a spring-arm, d, to the side plates, I, as shown' clearly in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4, the spring-arms being curved, so that when relieved from pressure they will cause the plates n to swing inward toward each other, as represented in Fig. 2, and thereby so nearly close the opening in the shoe as to prevent a cartridge, when placed in the shoe, from drop-y vforward into the chamber ofthe barrel the 254 gun.

same as in the ordinary'single-loading bolt- When it is desired to use it as a magau lzine-gun, it is onlyTA necessary to insert the magazine F in the usual manner, its upper edges striking against the inner faces of the spring-arms d, pressing them outward as it advances, and thereby shoving the plates 'n ,back out of the way, when the cartridges are fed from the magazine F upward through the opening' 'into the shoe, as usual. v

In order to provide room for the plates. to thus move back out ofl the way, I yform a recess, r, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, along .the inner face of each side plate, I.

While I have shown the spring arms d as formed integral with the plates n, and as being secured by screws e to the side plates, I, it is vobvious that they may be formed separately, and be attached to the plates n and side plates, I, in other ways or by other means, and still operate the same. The plan shown is, however, very simple and eflicient.

Heretofore this style ,of gun has had no means bywhich the cartridges could be retained in the magazine after the latter had been attached to the gun so they could be reserved .and used in an emergency. To remedy this difficulty, I have devised a cut-oft' or stop, which consists of a small arm, o, Figs. 2 and 3, which is secured to the lower end of a small bolt, G, set in a vertical hole bored in the left hand side of the receiver A, and which bolt is provided at its upper end with a fiattened head or thumb-piece, by which it canl 4be readilyturned so as to swing the arm o the cartridges in the magazine, as shown clear! ly in Fig.- 3, thus preventing the cartridges from rising, and retaining them in the magazine until released by turning the arm o hackI into a recess made for it in the lower wall of purpose set forth.

the side of the receiver, to the position ind-icated in Fig. 2. In order to hold this cilt-oi` securely in placein both positions, and prevent it from being accidentallymoved, I construct it, as shown in Fig. 5, with aprojecting heel, o, against which a spring, h, is arranged to hear, as shown, the spring thus serving to hold it in either position', and yielding to permitit to` be readily turned from one position to the other whenever' desired. By means of this cut-ottl the magazine can be left attached to the gun, and the cartridges be held in re-` serve, and yet be used whenever desired. As heretofore constructed, when the magazine was once inserted in place, there was no means by which the cartridges in it could be-prevented from being forced up into the shoe until all were exhausted, except by detaching the magazine from the gun. rIhe advantages of this improvement will be readily understood, as it enables the arm rto be carried with the magazine attached, and the cartridges in the magazine to be held in reserve and still be brought into use whenever desired by simply turning the cut-off one-quarter around.

The breech-bolt, trigger, &c., may be of the usual construction, they forming no part of my, present invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The box-frame for a gun, consisting'of the shoe or receiver A, having thedepending lugs B B', the guard-plate D, provided on each side with the upwardly-projecting lugs, ct a, and the side plates, I I, all constructed and combined substantially as shown and described.

- 2. In combination, wit-h a gunhaving an opening in front of the trigger-guard for the insertion of a magazine, a spring-plate or door E, arranged to automatically close said opening when the magazine is withdrawn, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a gun having `anl 4. In combination with the plates n n, arranged to operate as described.. the inclined or curved arms d, attached to said plates and IOO secured to the gunframe ina vertical posi! tion, substantially as shown, whereby the cartridge-magazine when shoved into position is made to shove the plates n n back out of the way by pressing against said arms d, as set forth.

5. The side plates, I, provided with the re-l cesses x, in combination with laterally-mova.

lino

6. In combination with u magazine gun adapted to have the cartridges fed from ai maga- Zine upward through an opening in the bottoni of its shoe or receiver, a cut-off or stop, consisting of the arm o, secured to an operating-bolt, G, mounted in the wall of the receiver at one side of said opening, whereby the arm o can be swung across the opening or to one side at will, substantially as shown and described.

7. In combination with a gun having` an opening in the bottom of its shoe or receiver substantially such as shown, the swinging arm o, provided with the heel or projection o, and the spring h, arranged to bear upon the sanie`15 and hold the arm o in position when turned either way, as set forth.

8. The guard-plate D, provided with the vertical lugs a at its opposite sides and near cach end for securing it to the side plates, sub- 2o stantiaily as shown and described.

MICHAEL L. BURKE.

Vit-nesses: p

REUBEN WRIGHT, J. D. BEOKWITH. 

